Moose

Alces alces

The word moose is thought to have come from the Algonquian word “mus” or “moos” and means eater of twigs. Today there are about one million moose living in North America. Most North American moose live in Alaska and Canada. Canada has the largest moose population in the world, consisting of approximately 830,000 moose. British Columbia alone is estimated to have more than 165,000 moose.

However, long before moose came to North America, they lived in Eurasia. It is believed that they came over the narrow land bridge called the Beringian Connection. This land bridge connected Asia with North America and was about 90 km (56 miles) long. It joined the Siberian Chukchi Peninsula with Alaska’s Seward Peninsula. It is possible that moose preceded the arrival of man to this area of the world.

Characteristics

Moose are the largest member of the deer family. Moose have long heads with large bodies, they have a hump on their shoulders and they have a short tail. Their long legs help them travel long distances through water and snow. They have a flap of skin called a bell hanging from their throat…

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